


Choosing you

by C_C



Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Fluffy Ending, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-24 06:40:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20354062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/C_C/pseuds/C_C
Summary: Crowley's exhausted, there's demon and holy water soup on his floor, and his hurt is starting to show.





	Choosing you

As he closes the flat door behind Aziraphale he catches sight of the open study door and almost cries. He's devastatingly exhausted and there's a puddle of demon and holy water soup on his floor.

Aziraphale follows his gaze, "Is that?"

“Ligur fell victim to my insurance policy."

“Is there another room you can wait in while I clean this up dear?"

“While you-"

Aziraphale cuts him off, "I'll not let you risk your life doing it."

Knowing better than to argue and not really wanting to Crowley nods and snaps a sofa into being, "Thank you Love. I’ll just wait here then."

Seeing that Crowley has no idea he's just handed Aziraphale a most telling, and welcome, endearment he just gets to work. It's lamentable that such things must be done by hand but some rules will not bend and he will not risk the existence of his demon on shoddy work.

After almost an hour of work with mop, bucket and rags he's satisfied that it is safe enough for Crowley to pass over it.

“I think it's time for bed now Dearest."

“You don't sleep Angel."

“Tonight I find myself exhausted. I’m sure you’ll agree it’s been a tiring day. Perhaps I'll dream of a solution to Agnes's riddle."

“As you wish. Shall I miracle a second bed or will you risk sleeping beside a fiend most foul?"

“There is nothing more fiendish than love denied. If we're to die tomorrow I'll not spend tonight pushing you away for the sake of those who've forgotten what love is."

“All it took was the end of the world. I swear Angel, if I were any less devoted to you I would have turned away long ago."

“I know Dearest, but you have one thing wrong; It's not the end of the world that changed my mind. If I'm going to lose you tomorrow no matter what we do I will not have another second tainted by the fear of losing you. If I'm to face hell fire for being on our side then so be it, nothing is worth more than even a single moment with you. If I thought there was even the smallest possibility that our punishment would be anything other than extinction I could probably continue to deny my love to protect your existence, but they won't let us live."

Crowley has discarded his sunglasses and looks near tears, "There's where we see things differently Love. Ten seconds of knowing you love me back would have made even death bearable. I faced the only true torment any of them could inflict on me today. I thought hell had come for you, I thought you were dead. I loved you and even though you'd never let yourself love me back they had killed you to punish me. And the only thing that kept me from behaving like one of Shakespeare's little twits was knowing you would have pled with me not to do it. Six millennia I waited for you to pick me, and I could wait a thousand more, but it hurts just a bit that you're only doing it now because we won't live long enough for there to be consequences."

“If the consequence was your death when it would not happen otherwise it was too high a price. Nothing that happened to me would deter me, not pain not torture, not even falling. But I would hold my tongue on how I truly feel about you forever to keep you by my side. Your existence is more important than either of our emotional well being.”

Crowley sighs, fatigued and frustrated, “Why are we fighting? Neither of us is going to see the other's point of view. Do you love me specifically Angel? Are you ready to commit to that now?"

“More than I could ever express."

“Then come to bed, help keep any nightmares away."

“Anything you ask Dearest, but how am I to accomplish that?"

“That's easy, tonight all my nightmares will be about running into your book shop and finding you gone. Just be there when I wake."

Crowley strips down to his shorts the human way and gets into bed, trusting that Aziraphale will follow.

Aziraphale hesitates before following suit, blushing self consciously.

“Oh Angel, you're beautiful but at this moment I'm just too tired to prove it to you. Come to bed. When I've had some sleep we'll test your idea about exploding."

Aziraphale clearly doesn't understand that comment but takes the offered hand, allowing Crowley to arrange him against the demon's side.

After some shifting they both find a comfortable position and fall asleep.

Crowley wakes as sunrise makes itself known in his greenhouse. Aziraphale is asleep on his chest and the anger from the night before is replaced with a quiet contentment. His angel will never understand how precious even this one moment is, but perhaps he doesn't need to. They've always seen the world differently and it's never stopped them loving one another.

With a soft kiss to the angel's temple he turns his mind to the notion of choosing their faces wisely. Both Beelzebub and Gabriel are far too angry to allow them to walk away from this. They're likely to extend the truce between them to the ends of destroying their little lost souls. That means hell fire for Aziraphale and holy water for him. If they could somehow switch places they could protect one another.

He doesn't notice Aziraphale waking. Until curious fingers begin tracing his mark. "What has you so lost in thought Dearest?"

“Thinking on how we might switch places."

“Disguise our selves as one another? Let Heaven take you and Hell take me?"

“That's the thought, but it can't be that simple. If we just change faces they'll know."

Aziraphale's face lights up as an idea occurs to him, "We could possess each other."

Crowley can't resist a bit of innuendo, "You need a receptive body for that."

Aziraphale seems to catch both meanings this time, "I think we can both manage that, though maybe we should practice, before risking our lives on it."

“I did promise to show you how beautiful I find this form."

Aziraphale must be feeling bold as he pulls his demon into a kiss with intent, "Your turn to... Possess me first then."

*

Crowley waits patiently while Aziraphale adjusts the tartan bowtie at his throat, "Two hours from now at our duck pond. And please do style my hair. While I doubt either side would give a damn- or a blessing - that we've been making an effort my turning up with serious bed head might trip some alarms that something’s not right."

“Given that we've know each other since the beginning I doubt I'd make that sort of mistake Dearest, just as I trust you'll remember to use my lexicon not your own."

“No telling Gabriel that he's a festering pestilent boil on the arse of existence then?"

“Not even when he sets about proving the point, no."

Crowley stops himself from continuing to banter. "If they fluster you remember that my response to being wrong footed is to ramp up the bluster. And remember I threatened to destroy Hastur, so if you see an opportunity to be an extra bit of a bastard to him please do."

Aziraphale nods, "Uriel called you my boyfriend. I didn't deny it but if they bring it up again perhaps it would be best for you to blush and avoid eye contact."

Crowley cups his own face for a disorienting second, "Until later Love."

“This is not goodbye. It will work, we will be properly together."

“As you say Angel. If I have faith in anything it's you. Give us a kiss and practice walking like me." He doesn't wait to be obeyed, instead pulling the angel into a long kiss, the goodbye his doubts demand.

*

He holds every second of the morning tight to his heart as a cab transports him to the spot where a book shop resided for more than eleven decades. And doesn't have to feign shock at finding said shop entirely intact. Without thought he hurries to the back room, the space that has been theirs since the reign of terror, even Aziraphale's forgotten cocoa mug is exactly where it was left. He takes a seat and absorbs the peace and reassurance of the familiar space until it's time to set their plan in motion. Only as he's leaving does he properly look around at the shop itself noting aloud the presence of a collection of new books. A quick brush of his thumb over Aziraphale's ring reminds him to keep his posture straight and his hips perpendicular to the ground.

*

Waiting for Aziraphale is a torture all its own. By rights it’s been a glorious day: Aziraphale is safe from heaven's wrath, Gabriel is both scared and furious, and he spent the morning enjoying a dalliance with his angel. But until Aziraphale is safe by his side those victories are small and petty. 

To survive only to be separated from the only point of light left in his universe would be to fall again, and this time there would never be any measure of relief from the suffering. And so he sits on the bench, forgetting to maintain Aziraphale's bearing as his mind is furiously working on a plan to storm Hell to rescue Aziraphale or die trying if someone has discovered their deception.

He's so lost in circling thoughts of doom that Aziraphale has taken his usual seat beside him before he recognizes his angel’s presence.

Relief floods through him, "There you are Dearest, I was beginning to worry."

“Fear not Angel, nothing's ever kept me from your side and I'll be blessed if I let it happen now."

Overwhelmed with both relief and love he kisses his angel fiercely, "I'll be holding you to that."

“I look forward to it.”

He smiles before asking, "Do you think they'll leave us alone, now?"

They banter a bit before switching back. Crowley's on autopilot all the way to their table at the Ritz. It isn't until Aziraphale begins recounting Gabriel's visit on Thursday that it sinks in. They've won and his angel has committed to being on their own side.

“Everything tickety boo Dearest?"

“Just... Everything hitting me at once. We've won, and we appear to be on a proper date."

“We've been on thousands of dates."

“Feels different."

Aziraphale looks guilty, "I am sorry about that my love. I suppose it is different. We've won, they've agreed to leave us alone and I swear to you I won't lie to or about you again.”

“I'm just taking longer to adjust than I might like.”

Aziraphale shifts uncomfortably, "Shall I leave you to your own devices tonight then?”

“Don't you dare,” Crowley growls almost instinctively. “Even if I were furious with you I wouldn't let you leave me just now. In fact for once let's skip dessert."

“Fancy another nap?"

“Not what I had in mind just now, no. Could do with some reassurance that we really made it back to each other though."

That makes Aziraphale pause, "I must admit I was rather relieved that you arrived back ahead of me. Though I did stop to ensure that all traces of holy water were removed from my corporation. Safety first and all that.”

“I do appreciate it, would have been a foolish way to go." Crowley signals for the check, "Your place or mine?"

“While I prefer your flat as our final destination it is only three and I was hoping we might pop by the shop for a bit of a look round. Unless you prefer I wait and go alone tomorrow."

“I think it might be best if we stick together for a time, Love. So we give your shop a good once over and then take ourselves back to mine. My cupboards are bare but we can order in."

“I promise to be quick about it, I just need to see it.”

“I do understand Aziraphale. Check that Adam restored it properly, take a few hours if need be, just don't push me away."

“You could hold my hand, stop me from disappearing."

“Might do. At least until I have you back in my bed."

“More pleasures of the flesh?"

“Assuming you're amenable I had hoped so, yes."

“I did rather enjoy our morning. Perhaps we could make a habit of it.”

“You won't get an objection out of me Love.”

Crowley pays no mind to the notes he hands the waiter, they more than cover the bill so what does it matter. ”Fancy a stroll or shall I get us a taxi?"

Aziraphale loops his arm through the demon's, "Let's enjoy this lovely day. Are we touching enough for reassurance that we found a way back together?"

“Don't mock Angel.”

“Not at all Dearest, I just don't want to cause you distress."

Crowley considers that before moving his arm from the angel's grip to wrap it around Aziraphale's waist instead. Their wholly disparate gaits cause them both to falter and adjust but half a dozen steps on they've met in the middle, Crowley's hips moving much less then normal and Aziraphale's much more.

“Are we sauntering, would you say?"

“I suppose that's as good a word as any.”

“Another thing I'd been wanting to try," Aziraphale explains as he rests his head against Crowley's shoulder, "Good way to start the rest of our lives."

“I like the sound of that Angel.”

*

A quick look round turns into dramatic readings of the dust jackets of the new books. It's entirely possible that relief has left them both a bit giddy. Eventually they run out of new books and drop onto the sofa to let the laughter bleed away on its own. When it has Crowley shifts to look at Aziraphale, "Adam's version of your shop is amusing at any rate."

“I've had rather a lot of fun myself, yes. I do hope everything he restored turned out as well.”

“I'm a bit uneasy about the state of the Bentley, I admit."

“Give me a moment to select a book in case I can't sleep and we'll get a wiggle on."

“Don't rush on my account Angel.”

“I've kept you waiting long enough as it is. It's only fair that you set the pace for a while Dearest. And there are plenty of ways to enjoy our selves after you've put your mind at ease."

“You always were very talented at temptation Angel." 

“I learned by watching the best.”

Crowley laughs, “I'll teach you some slightly more modern dancing to start."

“None of that Disco nonsense, Dearest, that I just won't do.”

“I was thinking more ballroom, Love, seems more your speed."

“A foxtrot or a tango perhaps?"

“I could teach you either, Angel.”

Aziraphale collects a pair of paperbacks and pauses, "Ring a taxi this time, Dearest."

*

It's well after dark by the time they make it through a tango without anyone's toes being trod upon. Aziraphale is alight with joy such that Crowley can't help but kiss him which leads to dancing of an entirely different sort.

After which Aziraphale gets out of the bed, which meets with an annoyed whine from a half asleep demon. "Just fetching my books, Dearest, won't be a moment."

“Slept much better with you beside me," Crowley confesses.

The angel returns with his bag, "I promise I'll still be here when you wake my love." He settles against the headboard with his book and is a bit surprised when Crowley shifts to rest his head on Aziraphale's thigh with an arm around both his lover's legs. "Fair enough beautiful."

He reads for a short time, absently stroking Crowley's hair. Eventually he pauses in his reading, "You were right you know. This is worth any price. I should have chosen you right from the start. In a way all the pain was worth it, though, because now we can truly be together.”

Crowley speaks without moving a muscle, "You're stuck with me until God herself pulls you from my cold dead hands Love, so settle in properly."

“Quite right."


End file.
